Taj Hotton saved his best for last in season 2026.

The highly-talented midfielder-forward produced the breakout performance of his fledgling AFL career with Richmond in the final home-and-away round match against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium last Saturday night.

In his 17th senior appearance for the Tigers, Hotton had an AFL career-high 19 disposals, career-high 14 contested possessions, three clearances, three score involvements, three intercepts and 125 metres gained.

He showcased his creativity, particularly by hand, with 13 handballs, and a toughness that belies his light frame.

As Richmond Executive General Manager, Football Talent, Blair Hartley said last week when it was announced that Hotton had extended his contract with the Club until the end of the 2029 season: “Taj is just scratching the surface of his potential, and it has been great to see him get some continuity in his football since returning from injury.

"He brings a skill set that will really help us going forward, with his ability to inject some excitement and release his teammates all over the ground.”

Hotton played the last 10 games of the season in the Tigers’ senior side after being sidelined for the first half of the year with a severe hip complaint.

Among AFL rising stars, he is ranked fifth for contested possessions per game, fifth for handballs, sixth for centre clearances, seventh for total clearances and eighth for tackles per game.